Saturday, July 18, 2009

Collins America announces new Mini DisplayPort LCDs, HDTV tuners

Collins America announces new Mini DisplayPort LCDs, HDTV tuners

Collins America may have been first out of the gate with the promise of some non-Apple Mini DisplayPort LCDs back in April, but it never got around to the little business of actually releasing them. That hasn't stopped the company from coming back with some fresh new promises of updated models, however, and it's even thrown in a whole new product for good measure. Leading off this batch is the 24-inch CinemaView 24 LCD, which packs a full 1080p resolution, a 2ms response time, a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio, four USB ports, and the same $499 price tag as before. Moving on up considerably is the all new CinemaView 47, which is intended to double as both a TV and PC monitor, and of course packs that same 1080p resolution, along with four USB ports, a 4ms response time, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, and a significantly higher $1,499 price tag. To go along with it, Collins has also debuted its new $399 CinemaView TV device, which packs dual HD tuners, both Mini DisplayPort and HDMI outputs, picture-in-picture support, and inputs for up to four separate HDMI sources. While things are obviously still subject to change (or disappear), both it and the CinemaView 47 are now slated for release in January, while the CinemaView 24 is supposedly on track for an October release.

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Displays

Collins America announces new Mini DisplayPort LCDs, HDTV tuners originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu's sleek FUTRO S100 gets VIA Eden implant

Fujitsu's sleek FUTRO S100 gets VIA Eden implant

By and large, thin clients are relatively boring. That said, they're typically dead silent and plenty powerful to handle the most basic of tasks, and thanks to Fujitsu, this one's even halfway easy on the eyes. The new FUTRO S100 was revealed today, complete with a 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor that enables the entire system to suck down just 11 watts under full load. Other specs include 1GB of DDR2 memory, a pair of USB 2.0 connectors, VGA output, Ethernet, a VX800 media processor, Chrome9 HC3 graphics and internal CF-based storage support. There's nary a mention of price, but it's ready to ship today for those with the correct change.

[Via HotHardware]

Gallery: Fujitsu's sleek FUTRO S100 gets VIA Eden implant

Filed under: Desktops

Fujitsu's sleek FUTRO S100 gets VIA Eden implant originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's 34nm-based 320GB solid state drive creeps closer to reality

Intel's 34nm-based 320GB solid state drive creeps closer to reality

Hankering for an SSD that's as big as your traditional HDD? So is Intel, or so we hear. In fact, we've been hearing whispers that a capacious 320GB solid state drive was in the works since January, and now those whispers have been upgraded to library-like voices. According to the generally reliable Golum, Intel's so-called Postville SSD family is well on its way to reality, and with them should come much needed price drops. The new series should top out at 320GB, with an 80GB and 160GB version falling underneath. Word on the street has it that both of the smaller two will be around $100 cheaper than the same-sized X25-M drives, though there's been no leaks on the 320GB model's MSRP. Still, Intel has a golden opportunity here if it'll just get these things to market -- a cheap(er) SSD with a brand name like Intel could blow the solid state market wide open.

[Thanks, Marius]

Filed under: Storage

Intel's 34nm-based 320GB solid state drive creeps closer to reality originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, July 17, 2009

HDR imaging for the cheap and gifted

HDR imaging for the cheap and gifted

People who are seriously after HDR output tend to pony up the dough for a big and chunky DSLR, knowing they'll get the highest quality possible. But if you're short on cash, here's a homebrewed mod that combines a gutted Polaroid x530 Foveon shooter with a Viliv to produce HDR-like imagery on the cheap. Essentially, the Viliv does all the processing and control work, while the el cheapo camera is used for its ability to save to raw format. You could instead pick up a compact Ricoh CX1 and save yourself a lot of trouble, but where's the fun and tinkering in that? The homemade hardware might not be pretty to look at, but make your way past the break to see if the results are worth the effort.

[Via Hack a Day]

Continue reading HDR imaging for the cheap and gifted

Filed under: Digital Cameras

HDR imaging for the cheap and gifted originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget's recession antidote: win an OCZ Summit Series 60GB SSD!

Engadget's recession antidote: win an OCZ Summit Series 60GB SSD!

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got an OCZ Technology Summit Series SATA II 2.5-inch 60GB SSD on offer, which ought to make your aging laptop quite happy. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Huge thanks to OCZ Technology for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) OCZ Technology Summit Series SATA II 2.5-inch 60GB SSD. Approximate retail value is $239.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, July 17th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

Filed under: Storage

Engadget's recession antidote: win an OCZ Summit Series 60GB SSD! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gigabyte Booktop M1022 and TouchNote T1028 tablet PC make their way to US

Gigabyte Booktop M1022 and TouchNote T1028 tablet PC make their way to US

It's been awhile since we heard anything about Gigabyte's Booktop M1022 netbook with dock or its tablet pc, the TouchNote T1028 -- but it looks like both have finally landed on US shores. If you've forgotten, the 10.1-inch Booktop M1022 boasts a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3 megapixel camera, optional integrated WWAN, VGA output, an Ethernet port, ExpressCard slot, 4-in-1 multicard reader, and its got Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and WiFi.The TouchNote features nearly identical specs, with a swivelling touchscreen panel. The M1022 and the T1028 can both be ordered now on Amazon, for $449 and $599 respectively.

[Via Portable Monkey]
Read - Amazon product page for Booktop M1022
Read - Amazon product page for TouchNote T1028

Filed under: Laptops

Gigabyte Booktop M1022 and TouchNote T1028 tablet PC make their way to US originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Is the premium that a brand commands actually caused by the corresponding generics underpricing themselves (leaving money on the table)?

Asus Eee T91 Touch Tablet Review: Keep Dreaming [Lightning Review]

Asus Eee T91 Touch Tablet Review: Keep Dreaming [Lightning Review]

The Asus Eee T91 is a return to netbooks gone by—a tiny 8.9-inch screen, 16GB SSD—except for one thing: It's a touchscreen tablet.

Price: $499

Verdict: Have you ever wanted to touch Windows XP? No? There's a pretty good reason for that—it's a really crummy touch experience, even with slightly larger-than-usual buttons. It's kind of like trying to poke poke poke around Windows Mobile 5 with a stylus—the onscreen keyboard's small keys gives us pretty horrific flashbacks. (This is at least partly because the T91 is running standard Windows XP Home, not Windows XP Tablet edition.) The "touch optimized" Internet Explorer is a joke. That's okay, Asus knows all of this too, so they've included their own custom interface that sits on top of XP called Touch Gate.

The UI is glossy and glowy and widgety—lighting effects, reflections and giant buttons abound. It can be impressively smooth in action, given how dinky the T91's guts are (1.33GHz Atom Z520). It has its own apps inside, like a flashy photo program, notepad for scribbling, and internet radio. There's widget desktop inside as well. You can move between the Touch Gate homescreen, widgets desktop and Windows XP by flicking left or right. It's confusing and annoying though—why can you only have five programs on the Touch Gate homescreen? To get to other apps, you have to move a slider sitting below to "unlock" the rest of the apps, which pop up in a semi-circle. From there, you can launch one, or trade out the apps that appear on your homescreen.

But let's just cut to it: I'm just not sure why anyone would want this, barring other third party apps you'd install that would unleash the potential of the tablet. (Which is perfectly adequate from a hardware standpoint—the touchscree! n is pre tty accurate with the stylus after calibration, though the LED-backlit screen suffers from the typical Asus dimness.) With the exception of being able to literally scribble notes and some whizbang photo flick gestures, there's nothing you can accomplish with Asus's custom widget OS overlay you couldn't do on a regular netbook with a regular Windows XP build. And a glorified app launcher for a handful of custom apps + a widget desktop that essentially exist just to lie on top of Windows XP to make touch actually usable aren't exactly compelling reasons to spring for a tablet, especially when more often than not, the experience simply frustrates because the software seems to misinterpret what you intended a tap to mean.

If there's a specific reason you want a Windows XP tablet with a crampy screen that doubles as decent last-gen netbook with a crampy screen, then for $500, the T91 might be your ticket. But if you're just aching for a cheap touchscreen tablet to dick around on the internet, you'd be better off waiting for the $300 CrunchPad. The T91 was much better as the glimmer of hope in our eye at CES.

Asus custom touch interface is flashy without bogging down system too much

Touch is accurate after calibration-provided you use the included stylus

It's half tablet, half last-gen netbook

Windows XP + touch is not the good ki! nd of to uch

In the age of 10-inch netbooks, the 8.9-inch screen is weenie-sized

Tesla goes Big Apple with Chelsea showroom

Tesla goes Big Apple with Chelsea showroom

Tesla goes Big Apple with Chelsea showroom

It's a time of dire news for auto manufacturers, with losses widening, dealerships closing, and whole brands disappearing. Not so for Tesla, which despite all that bickering up top has managed to scrounge together the funds to open up a shop in Chelsea in western Manhattan, a swanky area full of art galleries and the beret-clad people who frequent them. No surprise, then, that Tesla has outfitted the walls of this new dealership with large prints of its very own manufacturing process -- probably not earning it much cred in the 'hood. Annual operating cost is estimated to be a cool $1.5 million, pocket change by GM and Toyota standards, but surely a little more significant for a small company like this. Tesla used the space to show off the 2010 Roadster, which we still don't have full details on, but have heard features slightly improved circuitry, a locking glove box, and WiFi to enable remote, wireless diagnostics. Surely a Tesla-branded application store of some sort can't be far behind.

Filed under: Transportation

Tesla goes Big Apple with Chelsea showroom originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC T91 review

ASUS Eee PC T91 review

We've had our eye on ASUS' first full touchscreen tablet netbook, the Eee PC T91, since way back in January, when the hardware was on display while the software had yet to appear. Since then, we've seen quite a lot of the T91, and now it's finally making its way onto the US retail market. We've spent the last few days giving it the once over, to see how this netbook -- which is a true departure for ASUS -- stacks up. Touchscreen tablets have been, in many ways, an oft-repeated mix of excitement and disappointment -- great ideas coupled with mediocre hardware, or nice-looking hardware coupled with bad implementation of the touchscreen. Has ASUS managed to sidestep these issues with its own tablet PC? Read on for our impressions.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC T91 review

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS Eee PC T91 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE's Smart Grid aims to cut home energy consumption to zero, promote world peace

GE's Smart Grid aims to cut home energy consumption to zero, promote world peace

Judging by the company's recent infatuation with energy-efficient LED lighting solutions, we're not at all surprised to see General Electric launching a daunting initiative that aims to cut homeowner energy consumption to zero by 2015. The so-called 'Smart Grid' is part of the Net Zero Home Project, which combines solar and wind energy (for on-site power generation) along with specialized appliances that can "communicate with utilities to participate in utility-run demand-response programs." In other words, these intelligent devices can turn themselves down or off when no one's around in order to shave peak-time consumption, and the in-your-face nature of always knowing exactly how much juice you're wasting should also encourage conservation. Of course, we have all ideas that a Smart Grid-certified home will run you quite a bit more than you're willing to pay, but hey, Ma Earth deserves it -- doesn't she?

[Via CNET]

Filed under: Household

GE's Smart Grid aims to cut home energy consumption to zero, promote world peace originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If your ad didn't generate lift in search volme, you can rest assured it didn't work, no natter what Nielsen tells you - http://bit.ly/bXWbk

Official Google Voice Apps Arriving for Android, BlackBerry Phones [Mobile Apps]

Official Google Voice Apps Arriving for Android, BlackBerry Phones [Mobile Apps]

Google Voice executives told CNET and TechCrunch last night that official Google Voice apps would be available today for Android and BlackBerry phones. The apps—which CNET says should be pushed "at some point Wednesday," while TechCrunch claims arrival this morning—mainly route handset calls through the Voice service, so those on the other end see your Google Voice number, so the caller isn't forced to dial their own number first or make every call through Voice's web site to get the same effect. Voicemail transcriptions will also be available through the official apps, and on Android handsets, call logs and contacts are integrated with the service. iPhone users may have to wait a bit, but Google Voice manager say they're working on an app. The service remains limited to those who've received email invitations, but Google says they're rolling out steadily. We'll have more when the apps arrive. [via Gizmodo]

Update: GigaOM has additional pictures of the apps' SMS and visual voicemail functions, along with a pretty strong review.

Kindle For Every Schoolkid Proposed, We Strongly Recommend At Least 1 Calculator [Kindle]

Kindle For Every Schoolkid Proposed, We Strongly Recommend At Least 1 Calculator [Kindle]

The "New" Democratic Leadership Council in Washington has proposed that the government buy a Kindle or other "eTextbook" for each of the 56 million K-12 schoolchildren in America. It's a nice sentiment, but as a plan, it's holey.

I am certain this gave Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos one hell of a tingle when he saw the report, but in spite of the repeated mentions of Amazon and Kindle, I'm pretty sure he had very little to do with it himself. Here's why:

The DLC—'scuse me, NDLC—estimates the up-front cost of materials to be around $200, but could fall to $80 by 2012. Since the government now spends about $109 per student on text books, the initial investment seems in line. However, I don't think they're looking at the appropriate model. The Kindle 2's teardown revealed that it costs around $185, but that includes $60 for the 6" screen. Don't these fat cats in Washington know that textbooks only work on the $489 DX (and even then just barely)? Even at cost, I guarantee you're looking at a lot more than $200 per kid for one with a 10" screen.

And don't even get me started on the subject of smashed Kindle screens.

Doing the math here, my numbers are a lot higher t! han the DLC's, and furthermore my estimates on E-Ink's future price drop are way more pessimistic. Especially since the jury (meaning us) is still out on the longevity of E-Ink as an ideal screen technology, and only volume will really drive down the price. Wait a few years, see what happens with LCD, with laptops and netbooks, with iPhones and other smartphone platforms, and then, just maybe, you'll be able to select a decent product to subsidize 56 million times over.

Oh, and dudes, don't go creating terms like eTextbook—we already have lingo for this stuff, and you sound like you just arrived in a time machine from 1996. [DLC via New York Times]

Google Voice Apps Coming to Android and BlackBerry, iPhone Users Must Wait [Google Voice]

Google Voice Apps Coming to Android and BlackBerry, iPhone Users Must Wait [Google Voice]

Google Voice, the sweet service that lets you redirect calls, transcribes your voicemails and way more, is finally coming to smartphones—but only Android and BlackBerry, for now. iPhone users, you can go have some coffee while you wait.

Vincent Paquet, a senior product manager for Google and cofounder of GrandCentral (Google Voice before its name change), announced that Google Voice will be coming to the Android Market and to BlackBerry, although users of the latter will have to download it directly from Google rather than App World for some reason. It'll let you have your Google Voice number displayed on the other end and show transcribed email inside the app, rather than forcing the use of a browser. The invite system of registration, however, will still be in place.

iPhone and WebOS are markedly absent; we can forgive a little tardiness at WebOS because the platform's so new, but iPhone? What gives? Isn't Skype already available? No explanation for the absence was given, but Google assures us it is definitely coming as soon as possible. [CNET]

Samsung goes bargain hunting with SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 camcorders

Samsung goes bargain hunting with SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 camcorders

We've already had a look at Samsung's most interesting camcorder introduction of the day (that'd be the HMX-U10), but those looking for a more conventional alternative may take interest in one of these two. The SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 both take a different approach to capturing clips by logging them at 720 x 480 and offering users "HD upscaling" to the HDTV via HDMI. Both devices also boast a 65x optical zoom for those undercover escapades in voyeurism, while the Optical Image Stabilizer keeps things relatively shake-free. The primary difference between the two is the storage options; the K40 requires that you bring your own SD or SDHC card, while the K45 is equipped with a 32GB SSD. Both units sport 2.7-inch LCDs, USB charging and upload-to-YouTube functionality, and they'll each ship this August for $329.99 and $499.99, respectively. The full release is after the break.

Gallery: Samsung goes bargain hunting with SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 camcorders

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung goes bargain hunting with SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 camcorders originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android x86 LiveCD now available, lets you run Android on your desktop

Android x86 LiveCD now available, lets you run Android on your desktop

Sure, the whole world and Steve Ballmer might be buzzing about Chrome OS, but a dedicated duo of hackers has been hard at work porting Google's other operating system to x86, and they've just released an .02 version of their Android LiveCD build. That means you're now free to boot and run the 'droid from your optical drive, install it in a virtual machine, install it for real on your old laptop, whatever -- just don't get upset if it bugs out on you. Anyone gonna do some 'sploring?

[Via DownloadSquad]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Android x86 LiveCD now available, lets you run Android on your desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Promotion for Harry Potter Half Blood Prince started more than 4 yrs ago; Deathly Hallows more than 3 yrs before movie - http://bit.ly/hkgs4

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Learn the Hidden Benefits of Credit Cards [Credit Cards]

Learn the Hidden Benefits of Credit Cards [Credit Cards]

Extended care warranties, car rental insurance, trip cancellation protection—you know they're just margin boosters for companies, but you can't shake that vulnerable feeling. Personal finance author Ramit Sethi says you need only look in your wallet.

Photo by TheTruthAbout.

Sethi, author of the I Will Teach You To Be Rich blog, and book of the same name, notes that most credit cards extend purchase warranties to one year automatically, on top of the 30- or 90-day standards included in the box. Car rental insurance is also included in most card policies, and even if the airline tries to stiff you for a "late cancellation," many credit issuers grant their users $1,000-$2,000 per year in trip cancellation paybacks.

Sethi details these perks and others in a recent CNBC appearance, along with a free book chapter and related posts linked below.

What "secret" credit card perks have you discovered, accidentally or through fine print research? Share the hidden wealth in the comments.

Hidden perks of credit cards [I Will Teach You To Be Rich]

Beginner's Wiki Luminotes Goes Open Source [Notes]

Beginner's Wiki Luminotes Goes Open Source [Notes]

Luminotes, a personal wiki in the vein of PBWiki or TiddlyWiki but with a focus on helping beginners get started, has made its portable wiki package and desktop clients free and open source for all.

We previously peeked at Luminotes when it was a partially free service, but desktop clients, self-hosting, and other features were locked behind a pay wall. Many commenters noted a preference for the already free alternatives like PBWiki, but with Luminotes now free and available for use in browsers, off thumb drives, and from Windows-based clients, it's perhaps a more intriguing package for anyone who wants one place to drop all their thoughts, links, ideas and images, but finds Wikipedia-style markup a bit too intimidating to dive right into.

big news: Luminotes is now free! [Luminotes via Web Worker Daily]

A large addressable audience is no longer necessary (push) when every individual can search for what they want when they want it (pull).

Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year

Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year

Windows Mobile devs should start dotting their I's and crossing their T's, because Microsoft's going to be ready to take a good, hard look at their latest and greatest apps come the 27th of this month when the company finally swings open the doors to the submission processes for inclusion in the Windows Marketplace. The announcement has been made at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference this week as it gears up for an onslaught of devices running WinMo 6.5 at retail later this year, though the retail channel might not be where much of the action lies; unlike the Apple App Store, the Android Market, Palm's App Catalog and others, Microsoft is putting major emphasis on a segment of Windows Marketplace it's calling the Business Center where corporate-focused apps and utilities will have a place to live. Boring, yes -- but probably also very profitable in the business fleet market segment where WinMo tends to thrive.

Though the company had previously indicated that Windows Marketplace would be a 6.5 exclusive, we've got great news for legacy device owners who don't expect to get an upgrade: Microsoft has also announced today that the Marketplace will be coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 before the year's out. Considering that 6.5 won't be hitting the street until fall, that's not too bad of a wait; now all it needs is a rich catalog of great software to go along with the great hardware some of its partners are producing, right?

Gallery: Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Windows Marketplace taking app submissions on July 27, coming to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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